Hamlet and Wanderers defy the weather to pick up the points

Dulwich take top spot, Wanderers end a wonderful week on a high

Dulwich Hamlet and Cray Wanderers scoffed at the snowy conditions yesterday to record significant victories at the top of the Premier and South Divisions.

Hamlet were playing their first home league match since being barred from Champion Hill by landlords Meadow Residential, and 840 supporters- the best attendance of the weekend- made the eight mile trip to Mitcham, where the club are currently sharing the KNK Stadium with arch-rivals Tooting & Mitcham United. Their opponents, Worthing, came into the match in great form after victories over Billericay Town and Tonbridge Angels and a draw at Staines Town, and a close match was expected- but the final outcome was somewhat different.

Dulwich took the lead in the 40th minute, Sanchez Ming being rather merciless in front of goal, and within eighteen minutes of the restart it was game over, Dipo Akinyemi and Nyren Clunis putting the home side out of sight. This win took Hamlet back to the top of the table, two points clear of Billericay Town- although the Blues have five games in hand.

Worthing remain sixteenth.

In the South Division Cray Wanderers ended a week during which they not only got back to winning ways but had planning permission granted for their new stadium by recording a second successive victory. As with Hamlet their visitors were from Sussex, in this case the Hornets of Horsham, and Wanderers were victorious by the odd goal in seven.

A Charlie MacDonald double gave the home side the lead, and Karl Dent made it three five minutes before half time. Horsham reduced the arrears before the break, Alfie Rogers with the goal, and ten minutes into the second period George Landais made it interesting as he brought it back to 3-2, but Cray weren’t to be denied and Junior Dadson increased the gap once more fifteen minutes before the end. There was still time for Lewis Hyde to get a third for Horsham in the last minute, but not enough time for the Hornets to complete an unlikely comeback.

The three points lifts Wanderers above Greenwich Borough into fourth place, three points off an automatic promotion spot. Horsham remain in twelfth.